CHAPTER 84: FAMILY SECRET.

She took a slow, deliberate step forward, her voice turning cold and commanding.

"Well, I’ve just proved to everyone that I upheld that standard. Now it’s your turn. Prove yourself in front of all these witnesses. Let them praise your name, dear sister."

"I trust my daughter," Mrs. Ashford suddenly chimed in, though her voice trembled slightly as she swallowed hard. "Mirabel has lived in the Ashford family all these years. She grew up under my roof. I know her attitude... her character."

She then turned toward Victoria, reaching out and gently taking her hands. Her tone softened as she continued,

"I hope you understand why I didn’t trust you at first. It’s because you had just returned to the Ashford family. It’s not that I don’t trust you at all... but in order to prove your innocence to everyone, it was necessary. Please, I hope you don’t hate me for that."

Victoria gave a small nod, her lips stretching into a forced smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"I don’t hate you, Mother," she replied, her voice steady but cool. "But if I had to go through that humiliation to prove myself, then in order to protect Mirabel’s image and reputation as well, she should do the same. She only needs to lift up her gown and show us the sign."

Victoria words only made Mrs Ashford anger to grow more but she kept masking it up with a smile.

"Mother... I’m out of here!" Mirabel suddenly exclaimed, her voice cracking with panic as she spun around to leave only to be yanked back by a strong grip that clasped both her wrists tightly, halting her escape.

She turned in shock and there stood Darius and Anna, their gazes sharp and unwavering.

"You can’t just leave, Mirabel," Anna said firmly, stepping in front of her. Her voice was hard, every syllable edged with seriousness. "You have to prove to everyone here that the Ashford daughters truly are pure. You made Victoria go through it. You didn’t even stop to consider the pain or embarrassment it could have caused her if she had been... unpure. You simply went ahead....only for the Moon Goddess herself to vindicate her. Victoria was proven innocent. Now that she’s done it, you must do the same."

"Exactly!" Darius cut in sharply, anger blazing in his tone as he stepped forward. "I was ridiculed in your home for allegedly sleeping with one of your daughters. Thank the heavens I was proven innocent. But now? Now you’re the one refusing to prove yourself. What if someone tried to frame me or any of the other Alphas for being involved with an Ashford daughter? This started with you, Mirabel. You were the first to accuse. You made this mess."

Victoria let out a dry scoff, arms folded across her chest as her eyes narrowed.

He knows Mirabel has been sleeping with Alpha Auren and Zephyr, she thought bitterly. He’s not just defending himself....he wants to see her embarrassed.

"Just do what needs to be done, Mirabel," Lucian added, stepping forward with a resolute expression. Without waiting for her response, he reached for her hand and dragged her toward the center of the circle they’ve formed. "This isn’t supposed to be hard. Just show it. Prove it to everyone."

"Exactly! Hurry up, we’re running out of time," Callum chimed in, his voice laced with urgency and irritation.

"I said I’m not doing it!" Mirabel shouted defiantly, her tone sharp and unyielding. "I’m not going to prove myself just because Victoria asked me to!" She glared at them all, her chest heaving as emotion surged in her voice. "This is the highest form of embarrassment already! My mother trusts me and that’s all that matters. I don’t care about the rest of your opinions!"

"Exactly! I trust Mirabel, and that should be enough. All of you need to drop this topic right now," Mrs. Ashford interjected, stepping protectively beside Mirabel. Her tone was firm, though a hint of desperation lingered in her voice. "I only demanded a purity check from Victoria earlier because I am not her biological mother, and after today’s incident, there was no choice. She had to prove herself, and thankfully, she didn’t disappoint me."

She turned to Victoria, then grasped Mirabel’s hand, preparing to leave. "Let’s go," she said coldly, pulling her daughter away as the others stood frozen in stunned silence.

Victoria’s eyes narrowed, and a chilling thought surged through her.

You’re not getting off that easily. Never.

Without another word, she marched forward....her movement sudden and bold. And before anyone could react, she grabbed the hem of Mirabel’s skirt and ripped it, tearing it clean off to reveal her lap where the sacred red leaf was supposed to be.

Gasps echoed around the room.

"Oh my goodness! Miss Mirabel isn’t pure!" one of the maids cried out, her eyes wide with shock.

"No wonder she never allows us to attend to her... except for her personal maid!" another whispered, scandal clear in her voice.

"How dare you, Victoria!" Mrs. Ashford screamed, immediately lunging forward to shield Mirabel’s exposed legs with her own skirt. "How dare you do that to your sister!"

"She’s not pure, Mother!" Victoria snapped, her expression a perfect mask of feigned heartbreak. "You should be thanking me for exposing the truth. She was so quick to judge me but now, who deserves judgment? How could she do this to you, after everything you’ve sacrificed for her?"

Anna stepped forward, arms crossed over her chest, disappointment etched into every line of her face. She shook her head slowly, eyes locked on Mirabel.

"I knew something was off the moment she tried to leave."

"Wh... Who did you give your virginity to, Mirabel?!" Theo thundered, his voice breaking with betrayal as he stormed toward her. Callum and Lucian stepped in immediately, holding back their mother, who was still trying to protect Mirabel.

"How could you?!" Theo cried.

"You come from the Ashford family! You know what a woman’s virginity means here!" Callum shouted, his voice echoing with fury. "You know how daughters are held in higher esteem than even the sons, and you know why! You had no reason to give yourself away....you had everything! Wealth, prestige....so why throw it all away before finding your mate?! Even we, your brothers, remained pure!"

Lucian stepped forward slowly, his face pale with a mixture of heartbreak and disgust.

"Turns out we didn’t know our sister as well as we thought," he said quietly, a bitter edge in his tone. "We trusted you, Mirabel. We believed in you. But clearly... we were wrong."

He then turned his gaze toward Mrs. Ashford, whose face was drenched in tears. Her eyes remained locked on Victoria....eyes filled with fury, sorrow, and helplessness.

"Did you already know, Mother?" Lucian asked. "Is that why you tried to protect her? Did you keep her secret from us?"

"No!" Mrs. Ashford sobbed, shaking her head vehemently. "No, I swear! I’m sure... I’m sure someone forced himself on your sister! Mirabel didn’t lose her virginity willingly. Instead of accusing her, we should be finding the culprit!"

"Oh really? A culprit?" Callum scoffed, bitterness cutting through his tone. "And yet she kept it a secret? All this time? If it had truly been rape, whoever was responsible would have already been dealt with. You know us, Mother. We would have killed the bastard without hesitation. But this... this isn’t that. Mirabel wouldn’t even keep it a secret if she was actually graped...she doesn’t forgive anyone."

He stared hard at Mirabel, eyes narrowed. "She’s been sleeping with an Alpha for reasons only the Moon Goddess knows."

Mirabel lifted her chin, a smirk playing at her lips. Her voice dripped with defiance.

"I slept with the man who’s going to be my future mate. What’s wrong with that?"

A thick silence fell.

"Future mate?" Victoria repeated, her voice low and icy. She took a step forward. "Are two Alphas going to be your future mate then?"

A collective gasp rippled through the room.

"Who even knows how many Alphas you’ve slept with?" she added coldly, her words landing like daggers.

"Victoria!!!" Mirabel shrieked, her voice cracking with rage as she lunged forward.

"Two?!" Theo’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Fine....sometimes a person has two mates, maybe even three. It happens. But you said you slept with an Alpha because they might be your future mate. Might?! Are you dumb, Mirabel?!"

"Exactly!" Callum thundered. "What if neither of them turns out to be your mate? What then?! You’ll be mocked by everyone. Ashamed! You’ll bring shame to the family name!"

Mrs. Ashford stepped forward again, her voice trembling as she tried to salvage what little dignity remained.

"No one outside this room must know about this. This is a family matter and it must remain a family secret."

But Victoria wasn’t finished.

She took a slow, deliberate step forward, her eyes glinting with quiet triumph.

"But the family punishment must still be carried out," she said, her voice calm and unyielding.

Gasps and horrified stares followed her words. Mrs. Ashford’s knees nearly buckled beneath her, while Mirabel’s face drained of all color.